New Ulm weekly review., 1887-08-31
Genesis LII.


.g:enesis LII =
Over one hundred years ago the fol-
lowing socalled Genesis Ii was used
to puzzle Biblical scholars, and to-
day, were it read aloud in any mix
ed company, it is questionable if it's
Il Iaudulent nature would be discover
ed, so beautifully is the spirit and
language Of the Old Testament imitat-
ed:
(I.y And it came to pass after these
things, that Abraham sat in the door
of his tent, about the going down of
the sun.
~ And behold a man, bowed with
age, came from the way Of the wilder
ness, leaning on a staff.
(3.) And Abraham arose and met
him, and said unto him, Turn in, I
pray thee, and wash thy feet, and
.tarry all night, and thou shalt arise
early on the morrow, and GO thy way.
~ But the man said, Nay, for I
will abide under this tree.
(5.) And Abraham pressed him
greatly; so he turned, and they went
into the tent. and Abraham baked
unleavened bread, and they did eat.
(6.) And when Abraham saw that
the man blessed not Ged, he said un-
to him. Wherefore dost thou not
worship the most high God, Creator
Of heaven and earth?
ca And the man answered and
said, do not worship the God thou
speakest Of, neither do call upon his
name; for I have made to myself q
God, which abideth alway in mine
house, and provideth me with all
things.
Is. And Abraham zeal was kindled
against the man, and he rose and
drove him forth with blows into
the wilderness.
(9.) And at midnight God called un-
to Abraham saying, Abraham, where
is the stranger?
(lO) And Abraham answered and
said, Lord, he would not worship thee,
neither would he call upon thy name,
therefore have driven him out from
before my face into the wilderness.
(11.) And God said, Have / borne
with him these hundred ninety and
eight years, and nourished him, and
clothed him, Notwithstanding his re-
bellion against me, and couldst not
thou, that art thyself q sinner, beare
with him one night?
(12.) And Abraham said. Let not
the anger Of my lord wax hot against
his servant; 10, | have sinned, forgive
me, pray the.
(13.) And Abraham arose and went
forth into the wilderness, and sought
diligently for the man, and found him,
and returned with him to the tent,
and when he had entreated him kind
ly, he sent him away on the morrow
with gifts
14.) And God spake again unto
Abraham saying: For this thy sin
shall thy seed be afflicted four hun
dred years in a strange land.
(15.) But for thy repentance will l
deliver them, and they shall come
forth with power, and with gladness
Of heart, and with much substance.
In 1859, when in England as an
agent for the Colony OF Pennsylvania,
Benjamin Franklin first wrote and
privately printed this Chapter" as
he always termed it. Taking only a
sheet OF paper, he kept it laid in his
Bible at the end of Genesis, and used
to amuse himself by reading it aloud
to his friends, and hearing them ex.
press their surprise that they had
never recoliected reading it, and their
openly expressed admiration OF
the moral 1T carried with it.
Among those to whom Franklin
gave a copy, was Henry Home. Lord
Kames, who was so delighted with it
that, when he published his 'tSketches
OF the history Of man." in 1774, he
reprinted it, with the following re-
marks:
1.-The following Parable against
Persecution was communicated to me
by DR.. Franklin of Philadelphia, a
man who makes great figure in the
learned world, and who would make
a still greater figure for benevolence
and candor. were virtue as much re-
garded in this declining age as knowl-
edge.